Sita’s discovery in the furrow

Sítá’s discovery in the furrow is the account of how King Janak found her while turning the ground for a sacrifice. The episode anchors her origin in the earth and gives her name a direct connection to the circumstances of her discovery.

The Discovery

An explanatory note describes Janak turning up the ground in preparation for a sacrifice when he found Sítá. It directs readers to Book II, Canto CXVIII, where the discovery is recounted. The detail supplied here is precise but limited: the ground was being prepared for a sacrifice, and Sítá was found as it was turned.

Name and Origin

A separate note explains that Sítá means a furrow. The meaning links her name to the furrowed earth in which Janak discovered her, joining the account of her finding to the name by which she is known. The commentary also characterizes her as not born of a woman, making the discovery central to the account of her origin.

Narrative Significance

The event is presented through brief explanatory references rather than a full scene in the supplied passage. Together, they preserve two defining details: Janak’s discovery occurred during preparation for a sacrifice, and Sítá’s name recalls the furrow. The setting and name make the earth itself an essential part of how her origin is told.